Cupola furnace



July 21,1925. 1,545,521 n E. vANDERsTElN CUPOLA FURNACE l Filed'Feb. 5.1924 iin / Il' |1111 n mill Patented July 21, 1925.

l` UNITED STATES EWALD vannnasrnm,

OF DULKEN', GERMANY.

. corona FURNA'GE.

Application filed February 5, 1924. Serial No. S90-,728.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EWALD VANDERsrErN, a citizen of the German Republic,and residing at Duiken, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cupola Furnaces, of which the following is aspecification. y

My invention relates to improvements in cupola furnaces and in themethod of'operatingthe same, and more particularly inthe air supplyingsystem. The object of the improvements is to provide a system by means`ofvvhich uniform combustion of the fuelall over the cross-section ofthe melting Zone is insured, andthe efficiency of the furnace isV.increased and hot iron is produced. 1With. this object in view myinvention consists in distributing the air supplyingtuyres and thesuction passages for removing the `gases of combustion all around thefurnace and so that the hot or cold air passes through the Wholecross-section of the furnace. In the preferred construction thetuyeresand discharge passages are disposed' in different heights, the dischargepassages being located at a higher level thanthe admission passages. Ihave found that by thus providing a melting zone of increased height,the efficiency of the air is further improved, the air being forced toflow upwardly from the tuyeres and through thefmass of fuel. In theconstruction of the :furnace I provide two sets of tuyeres disposed atthe same level and opposite to each other and, above the said sets, tivosets of outlet passages disposed opposite to each other. Means areprovided for reversing the direction of the movement of the air. I Wishit to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to a construction in whichthe inlet and outlet passages arc at different levels'.

For the purpose of explaining the invention two examples embodying thesame have been shown in the accompanying drawings in which the samereference characters have been used in all the views toindicate corfresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig.` l, is a sectional velevation of the bot-v tom part of the furnace,and

Fig. `2, is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3, is a horizontal cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. landshoiving a modification.

In the example shown in Figs. l and 2 the shaft 2O of the cupola furnaceis provided melting chamber of the furnace.

with two sets l and 2 of air admission tuyeres located within the sameplane and opposite to each other, and with tivo sets 3 and 4 of outlet`passages located abovethe -inletpassages Withinthe same planeandopposite to each other. The passages of the sets are so distributedaround the circumference of the furnace that the incoming air fills outthe Whole cross-section of the The sets l and 2 of inlet passages areconnected With air distributing chambers 5 and 6 connected by conduits 7and 8 'with regenerators or air compressors, and the outlet passages 3and a are connectedwith return conduits or other conduits 9 and 10 andcollecting 'chambers l1 and l2.`

lThe sets of inlet and outlet passages are provided With valves or gates2l, 22, 23 and 2a for regulating the supply and discharge of the'air. Inthe operation of the furnace I set the valves so that when admitting'the air through the set 1 of inlet passages the gases of combustion aredischarged through the set l of suction passages which are locateddiametrically opposite thereto, While the passages 2 and 3 are out ofoperation. After a certainperiod'of time the valves 2l and 23 are closedand the valves 22 and 24 opened, so that the air flows from the set 2 ofinlet passages to the set 3 of outlet passages, the sets 1 and 4l beingout of operation. The path of the air is indicated in Fig. l by arrows25 and 26, shown respectively in full and dotted lines, and it ivill beunderstood that the air follows either the arrow 25 shown in a full lineor the arrou7 2G shown in a dotted line. In some cases veach `set ofinlet and outlet passages comprises a plurality of passages placed oneabove the other. If it is desired to causo a more intense combustion Iopen all the passages and force air throughboth sets of y, inletpassages so thatrthe currents of air cross each other and `bound againsteach other and cause Whirls and intimate mixtureV of the air. `This modeof operation is particularly preferred When supplying cold air orpartlycold and partly hot air, and when it is necessary to add oil, coal dust,gas, and other matter for influencing the composition of the iron orreducing the consumption of coke.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 all the air admission and dischargepassages are in the same plane. The passages are so distributed aroundthe circumference of the. melting chamber that the air passes throughthe saine from all sides. The admission passages have vbeen indicated bythe numerals 13 and 14E and the discharge passages by the numerals 15and 16. After a certain period of time the direction of the flow of theair is reversed, the air being admitted through lthe passages 15 and 16and discharged through the passages 13 and 14. Also Yin thisconstruction in some cases a plurality of nozzles of the same set aredisposed one above the other, and the same or different numbers ofpassages are provided in the siiperposed series. Axially of the passages1st and 15 there are peep holes 17 and 18 for observing` the operationof the furnace.

In the example described with reference Vto Figs. 1 and 2 the dischargepassages are disposed a certain distance below the top of the furnace;but l do not limit myself to this feat-ure. In some cases 1 dispose thedischarge passages close 'to the top of the furnace and l forcethecombustion gases `to flow through the said passages by closing thefurnace rat its top.

I claim:

1. 1n a cupola furnace of the 4type set forth, in combination with theshaft, a set of blast inlet passages, and -a set of Aoutlet passages forthe combustion gases, the said sets arranged oppositely to each other-in the same horizontal Zone andeach Yset confined to one-half of theshaft circumference.

2. In a cupola furnace of the type set forth, in combination -vvith theshaft, a set of inlet passagesand a setof outlet passages arrangedopposite'ly to each other, the said inlet passages located at adifferent level than the said outlet passages, and each set confined toone-half of the shaft circumference.

3. ln ay cupola furnace of the type set forth, in combination with theshaft, a set of inlet passages and a set-of outlet passages arrangedoppositely to each other and each set confined to one-.half ofthe shaftcircumference, aV conduit `chamber for each slet common to all passagesin the respective set, and means -for controlling the vpassage of thegases through the several sets.

e. In a cupola furnace of the type set forth, in combination with theshaft, ltwo sets of inlet passages annularly arranged Varound the shaftand each set extending over substantially one-half of the annulus,

a conduit chamber in communication with all inlet passages iii each set;tivo sets of 'outlet passages arranged. in substantially similar annulardisposition about the shaft and at a different level from said inletpas- 'a\ges, and a conduit chamber in communication with all outletpassages in each set, and means for controlling the passage of gasesthrough said inlet and outlet passages.

5. In a cupola furnace of the type set "forth, in combination With theshaft, tivo sets `of inlet passages in annular arrangement and each setextending over substantially one-half of the annulus, a conduit tiveconduit chambers.

'6. The described method for ope 1ating a cupola furnace, Which consistsin causing the gases to alternately .pass in opposite directions throughsets of inlet and outlet lpassages llocated diametrically opposite toeach other.

7. The described method of operating a cupola furnace, Which consists incausing the gases to Valternately pass upwardly and in cross-currentsthrough sets of inlet and outlet passages located diametrically oppo`site to each other at respectively different levels.

8. In a cupola furnace of the type set forth, in combination with theshaft, a set of inlet passages and a set of outlet passages, each setcomprising a series of spacedly superimposed tiers of interconnectedpassages, and means for controlling the passage of the gases through thesaid sets.

9. ln a cupola furnace of the type set forth, in combination with theshaft, a set of inlet passages and a set of outlet passages, each setcomprising a series of semiannular, spacedly superimposed tiers of in-`tercominunicating passages, said sets being disposed opposite to eachother, and means for controlling the flow of the gases through saidsets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EVALD VANDERSTEIN.

